Build Me Up Buttercup
by Meggie-Moo
Summary: The famed lovehate relationship between Lily Evans and James Potter – she hates his guts, but he is infatuated… Has anybody ever wondered how it all started? LilyJames pairing
1. Chapter 1

Summary - The famed love/hate relationship between Lily Evans and James Potter – she hates his guts, but he is infatuated… Has anybody ever wondered how it all started? (Warning – I've really changed Lily's character, so if you don't like the non-Hermionie-ish not bookish Lily, don't read. I bite my thumb at flamers)

Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter, no matter how much I wish I do! And I also don't own the song in the story, that's "He's A Rebel" by The Crystals, and the title acutally isn't mine either, it's another song, "Build Me Up Buttercup" by The Foundations.

Now... On with the story!

* * *

She was beautiful. Beyond beautiful. Her auburn hair shimmered in the summer sunlight shining in through the window. Her porcelain skin was flawless, and sparkling emerald eyes laughed at the world. She looked … there was only one word for it … perfect.

Sirius Black poked his friend in the ribs. "Prongs! The old bat's talking to you!" James snapped out of his reverie, and looked at Professor McGonagall.

"Now, Mr Potter, could you answer my question?" asked a disgruntled Professor McGonagall.

James Potter shook his messy black hair, and the girls sitting in the row behind him sighed. "Um… sorry Professor… I don't know"

"I thought as much. You can join me for a discussion about your continual non-participation in my class after dinner. I will expect you in my office by eight."

"Yes Professor" said James as he resigned himself to yet another evening writing lines.

Sirius turned to James, with finger glasses on his face, just like Biggles, and said in an excellent impersonation of Professor McGonagall, "Now, Jamesie-poo, unless the answer is written on Lilybear's cheek, I would like you to face the front"

"Shuddup!" His gaze was momentarily distracted by the whirl of red hair as Lily turned away from him.

Meanwhile, across the classroom, Lily Evans turned to her friend Frankie. "How many is that this week? Three? Or four?"

"Dude, you're counting?" Frankie asked in disbelief.

Lily blushed. "Well… no…"

"You got it bad, Lil! Why don't you just tell him you like him?"

"Because… he would never like a girl like me anyway!" She started singing softly.

_He's a rebel and he'll never never be any good… He's a rebel and he never never does what he should… Just because he doesn't do what everybody else does, that's no reason why I can't give him all my love…_

"I think he does! He was fully staring at you just before!"

"He wasn't! What's the bet he was looking at Rosie Brown." Lily turned at shot a glare at the girl who was distracting James from her.

The bell rang to signal the end of class, and with it brought a flash of inspiration to Lily, who shook her hair out of the loose ponytail it was in.

"Ha ha! Work the hair girl!" said Frankie

Lily adjusted the mini skirt and flowered kaftan that she was wearing under her school robes, applied a quick coat of lip gloss, and started towards the guys.

"Where are you going?" her friend asked.

"I'm sick of Rosie always flirting with him, and there's a Hogsmede visit next weekend. See what I'm getting at?" Lily replied with a smirk. As she turned around and made her way over to the guys' bench, she unconsciously started wiggling her hips as she walked, and Frankie smiled to herself.

"Dude, you've got a visitor!" Remus poked James in the ribs.

"As if I didn't notice!" came the indignant reply.

"Hey James… can I have a word?" asked Lily.

"Um… ok… sure!" he stuttered. _Ohshit, someone must have told her I liked her! What am I going to do!_ he thought.

"There's a Hogsmede visit next weekend… I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?" she asked.

_Oh… my… God! LILY EVANS JUST ASKED ME OUT!_ "Um… yeah ok! I'll meet you in common room at 9 then?"

"Ok, sounds good! See you after lunch!" She turned and walked away, then proceeded to talk to her friend in a low voice, very quickly.

* * *

Yes, I know it's short, but meh, anyway.

For anybody who was a'wondering, Rosie Brown is Lavender's mum. She doesn't do anything at the moment, but maybe later...

I shall be off! Farewell all!

Megan and Master Fifer - HUZZAH!

Mai-Ing - LEMONY SNICKET!

REVIEW! Or I shall send my killer teddy after you!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello again everybody! I have returned with a second chapter of my story. It's very very very very long! 6 WHOLE PAGES on word!

Thanks so much to the people who reviewed - Master Fifer, XxxSOPHIExxX, and Elven Tresses!

Here goes!

* * *

Chapter 2

The Saturday of the Hogsmede visit arrived far too slowly for Lily and James. The week leading up to what their friends had christened "the date of the century" seemed to stretch out into eternity.

Lily awoke at 8 o'clock, and spent an hour in the bathroom trying to find a perfect hairstyle for her date, and she would have stayed longer, except Rosie unlocked the door and levitated her out of the bathroom "so that the rest of the girls could have a go at the bathroom" then proceeded to stay in herself for another hour, until Professor McGonagall came into the dormitory and told her she would miss the final roll call to leave for Hogsmede.

James' day started much differently, however. He was awoken very rudely at five to ten by Sirius using _Levicorpus_ to jerk him out of bed, and while he was still hanging a few inches off the ground, Remus tipped a bucket of icy water over him as his 'shower'.

"Gee guys, thanks a lot!" James said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, and his hair dripping with water. "Just the way any guy wants to be woken on the morning of his date with the hottest girl in school!"

"Awww, you don't have to thank us Prongs," said Sirius. "We'd do anything …" he sang.

"Anything?" James asked, continuing the song.

"We'd do anything, for you!" Sirius and Remus sang.

"And James, just a tip for the big day…" said Remus.

"Yes…"

"If I was you, I'd get dressed! We're leaving in five minutes! But then again, I'm sure Lily would like you just the way you are!" He cast a quick glance at James standing in a puddle of water on the bedroom floor, dripping wet, his t-shirt and boxers saturated, then laughed and ran down the stairs before the hex he knew was coming hit him. Instead, it ricocheted of the wall, and small bogeys with wings sprouted along the stairwell all the way into the common-room.

"_Sechér_," James muttered, sweeping his wand over his drenched body, and with a hiss of steam, he was dry. He searched desperately through his drawers for something that hadn't been worn and then put straight back in again, or stained. Eventually he came up with black cords, and a black shirt that his parents bought him. It had a picture of four crazy men on the front, who's faces were painted white with different patterns of black face paint on, and one of them had an unnaturally long red tongue protruding from a half-open mouth. Personally, James thought they all looked ridiculous, but his parents had assured him that this band was "the latest trend" among teenagers in London.

As he made his way down into the common room, Lily was putting the finishing touches onto her hairstyle in her room. "Frankie… how does it look now?"

"Lily, stop stressing! It looks fine, just like it looked fine the last ten hundred thousand million times you asked me!"

"I don't want to look _fine_, I want to look perfect!" said an exasperated Lily.

"Ok then," Frankie stood back to take a better look at her friend. She had her hair in ringlets, pulled into a side ponytail at the base of her neck, and the front part straightened, with a yellow Alice band holding the fringe back. Her denim bell-bottom jeans had a split in the side that went almost up to her knee, and filling in this gap was flowered material, in rainbow colours. She was also wearing a three-quarter length white button-up top with the cuffs of the sleeves turned up at her elbows, and over that was a chequered vest**. (A/N – I know it _sounds_ rather hideous, but it looks good if you do it right!)** "Your hair is stunning, your make-up is flawless, and you look like a supermodel in those clothes. There, happy now? Honestly, I don't know how you can spend so long getting dressed!" Frankie had simply slipped into a yellow tank top, and put her overalls on over the top, which were bewitched so that they slowly rotated through all of the colours of the rainbow. Instead of spending hours fussing over her hair, she had just slipped her black dreads back into a pony tail. She checked her watch. "Five to ten! Let's roll!"

"Alright already! I'm coming!" The best friends made their way down the stairs into the common room, and swung open the door to the room. Lily's eyes immediately swept the room, searching for her date. Then she saw him. His shirt particularly accented the drool-worthy biceps that Lily had always known were there, but had never actually seen. James also appeared to like how she looked, judging by the awestruck expression which crept across his face as he saw here.

"Well, Evans, you certainly do scrub up well don't you!" said Sirius sarcastically. He ducked as James swung a playful punch at his head, but then received a punch on the arm from Remus. Lily wondered how long those guys had spent together to develop their friendship to that level. They were almost one mind in three bodies.

"Nice to see that you had a shower this morning Sirius, but you know, most people feel the need to bathe more than once a month!" said Lily. She noticed James staring noticeably at her. "Uh uh James my face is up here!"

_Real smooth James, getting caught perving on her before the date's even started!_ he reprimanded himself. "S-s-sorry… do you wanna go down?" he asked. _And adding to the idiot parade, the stutter!_

"Yeah ok," she said, slipping her hand into his. They walked out of the common room, and he helped her through the portrait hole. "We'd better hurry, or we'll be left behind," said Lily

Frankie started to follow after them, resigning herself to an evening in Hogsmede alone, or worse, with Rosie and her cronies, when she felt a hand take hers. She turned, and saw Remus Lupin there, looking incredibly nervous.

"Uh… seeing as how your friend has a date… and so does mine… do you want to go to Hogsmede with me?" he asked.

"Yeah, that sounds pretty cool!" she said. "C'mon, or we'll be the last ones left!" Frankie playfully pulled his hand, and they exited the common room together, much to the disgust of Sirius.

"I'm all alone… there's no-one heeeeeeeeeeeere beside meeeeeee…" sang Sirius.

All through the journey to Hogsmede, James was immeasurably sweet. He held Lily's hand for the whole journey, and together they ignored the face-meltingly evil glares that his fan-club gave them. He guided her around the many potholes in the road ("I pity the poor drivers that have to go along here" "James, wizards don't _have_ to drive idiot!" "Oh… I knew that!"), and once, when she almost fell in one, he caught her as she tripped. His hand was around her waist, and their faces were just inches apart. They would have kissed then and there, except for Sirius, who came bouncing up behind them.

"Sorry guys, but Remus has ditched me for some Frankie chick! Hey… she's your friend isn't she?"

"Way to kill the moment Padfoot" muttered James.

"Anyway, seeing as how I'm _obviously_ not wanted here… I shall be off! Fare thee well, my little turtledoves! Et pour vous mademoiselle. _Orchideous_!" He handed Lily a bunch of flowers, and skipped off into the crowd ahead of them. Lily and James continued on walking, talking about anything from Quidditch to music, both Muggle and wizarding. After five minutes, the crowd thinned noticeably as they entered Hogsmede village.

"So, where do you want to go first?" James asked.

Lily's stomach rumbled. "Well, I know this really good bakery up here. I'd love something to eat!"

The bakery in question was Bellocchi's Bakery, and was practically empty, having only just opened. "Ahh, good morning Miss Evans," said Mr Bellocchi. "How are you today?"

"Fine thanks! Can I just get a chocolate croissant please? And could you warm it up for me?"

"Yes, of course I can my dear! _Chaudette_." The smell of melted chocolate and warm pastry filled the small room. "Here you are! That's two sickles please."

Lily paid and then they left.

"Where do you know him from?" James enquired.

"Well, long story short, he was the guy that showed mum and dad how to get to Hogsmede so I could visit them in the holidays."

"He scares me." James confessed.

Lily laughed. "He scares most people!"

They spent the rest of the visit to the village looking in random shops, then went to the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer and to meet their friends before they left. When they entered and scanned the room, they saw Frankie and Remus sitting very close together, and Sirius looking rather like a third wheel. As they walked towards them, Sirius' face lit up.

"They're here!"

Remus moved apart from Frankie, but not quickly enough. Lily saw that he formerly had his arm around her shoulders, and they appeared to be sharing a milkshake.

"Hey Frankie! 'Lo Remus, Sirius" said Lily.

"Milady!' Sirius leapt up, and used his jacket to 'dust' the seat for her, then swept a low bow as she sat down.

Lily whispered in James' ear, "Is he always like this? Or is it special treatment?"

"He does this whenever he meets someone he likes."

"Ew! He _likes_ me?"

"No, not like that you prat! This is his Sirius'-welcome-to-the-group performance!"

"Ok… so now I'm one of you guys?"

"Practically"

"Do I have to help with the stupid pranks?"

"Not if you don't want to!"

They both laughed, and then Sirius said, "What's going on over there? It looks interesting!"

James leant over, and appeared to be sharing an inside joke with Lily, but he really said, "Keep on with this act, he gets really frustrated!"

Lily giggled, then James kissed her cheek, which made her blush.

"Ugh! Get a room! I feel like a single man in a married's bar!" said Sirius

"Dude, don't you mean a married man in a single's bar?" asked Remus..

"No, I know what I mean! I'm sick of this, let's go." He stood up, grabbed his warm cloak and walked towards the door.

"The great almighty Sirius has spoken. We must depart," said James in a drone-like voice. He downed the rest of his butterbeer, then left five sickles on the table to pay. "C'mon Lil, if we want to get back before dark we'd better make tracks"

"Ok, come on Frankie!"

During the walk home, the two couples and Sirius simply travelled in one big group, rather than in two pairs and a loner. A chilling wind blew, and Lily and Frankie shivered.

"Almost there girls, do you think you can wait another five minutes to be warm? Just keep on fighting off that frostbite!" said Sirius, seemingly oblivious to the cold.

"Here, have this" said James as he offered Lily his cloak.

"Thanks so much! I owe you one!"

When they arrived back at the Gryffindor common room, they finally had to part ways.

"Thanks for today. It was awesome!" said Lily as she hugged James.

"S'ok. Do you want to go again next time?"

"Sure!"

As she went to pull out of the hug, he gently took her chin, and tilted her face towards his. Lily's heart began beating out a rapid rhythm against her ribcage. He leant forwards, closing the distance between their lips. As they made contact, a jolt of white hot electricity swept through Lily's body. His kiss was soft and sweet, just perfect for a first kiss, not too deep and rough, but not too timid and shy. After what seemed like an eternity in Paradise, they broke apart.

"I'd better go now. Night!" Lily said, before hurrying up the staircase.

"Bye!" he called after her.

Lily rushed upstairs, her lips still tingling from the kiss. Frankie arrived a few minutes later, looking much the same as Lily felt.

"Did you guys…" asked Lily.

"Yes! And oh my God, I would never have thought it, but Remus is the best kisser! What about you guys?"

"Yeah… it was… weird… like, we kissed, and it was wicked awesome, but I felt… something else… like, I don't know… like, you know when a bride is at her wedding, and she knows her and that man that she's marrying are going to be together forever? Like that, except… not I guess!"

"Woah… that's weird! Anyway, we can unravel the mysteries of life tomorrow," said Frankie, in a mystical way. "But right now I'm bombed! I'm going to bed ok?"

"That's cool. I think I might too!"

The girls got changed into their PJs, then got into bed.

"Night Mrs Lily Potter!" said Frankie.

"Night Mrs Frankie Lupin!" replied Lily with a smirk on her face.

That night, the two friends drifted into sleep feeling as though they were walking on clouds.

* * *

Yay! Dates are good! Kisses are better! But reviews are the bestest! Review! And I shall send you some of the really yummy Charlie Brown cookies that my mum made yesterday!

Yes, Elven Tresses, it is indeed Mr Bellocchi, the crazy mental loooooopy science teacher! I seriously can't imagine him doing anything other than teaching! Hes just so _weird_! But I just couldn't think of any other crazy name starting with B!

Shall attempt to get another chapter up by Tuesday, coz I'm going away! YAY! HOLIDAYS!


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again my lovely readers! Here's another chapter for you! Sorry it took so long!**

**But seeing as how I'm back at school again (sigh) the chapters will take longer to write, so there'll be a longer gap between updates.**

**Thanks to these reviewers - XxxSOPHIExxX - I L.O.V.E You, Leaves, Nocturnal007, and Master Fifer!**

**Guys, if you read this can you please please please please review? I really really need feedback, and without it I can't keep on writing! I found out that this story has got 147 hits, and only 7 reviews! I don't need a big monologue, just a few words, even, "This story sucks!" but only as long as you tell me _why_ it sucks!**

**I've made a pagey thing on Piczo for drawings of what the characters are wearing because I was really really super-de-dooper bored... so if you want to check it out, the link is on my profile, but my computer is kinda stuffing up, so the pictures will be up in a few days!**

**Majorly Important (with a capital I!) Announcement in the note at the bottom of this chapter! Please read!**

**Woah that was a long AN!**

**Anyways, here's the chapter!**

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Chapter 3

Sunday morning saw James, Remus, and Sirius huddled around an envelope, a spell book by their sides, and wands in their hands, muttering spells.

"Are you sure this'll work Moony? They'll never forgive us if we screw it up you know!" asked James worriedly.

"Of course I'm sure!" replied Remus, not looking sure at all.

He whispered a final spell, and gave the envelope to his owl Jason to deliver.

vvvvv

Lily was awoken by a loud karaoke version of _Yellow Submarine_, sung by Frankie as she got dressed. "In the town! Where I was born! Lived a man… who sailed the seas!"

Lily threw a pillow at her head, and mumbled, "Go _away_! It's only 9! Far too early to be awake." As she pulled the covers up over her head, she heard a tapping at the window, and then a faint whoosh as an owl flew in to the room.

"Lily… I think you should get out of bed now…" said Frankie.

"Why? What's happened?" A birds-nest of red hair appeared from under the blankets.

"Because… I-have-a-letter-from-James-for-you-and-you're-not-getting-it-until-you-get-out-of-bed!" she said hurriedly, while running towards the door. "And if you're not out in five seconds, I'm going to take it down to the common room and read it out loud to everybody!"

Lily screamed and threw herself of the end of the bed at Frankie, who moved, causing Lily to fall on the floor with a loud thump.

Frankie resisted the urge to laugh, and said, "Actually, it's for me too! So I'm going to open it now! If you want to read it come over here!"

She ripped the wax seal off the back of the letter, and then gasped as it flew out of her hands. James' voice emanated from the envelope.

"Remus, what do I do?"

"Start talking now! They can hear us!"

"Oh… Hey Lily -"

"And Frankie!" interrupted Remus

"And Frankie too! Seeing as how you girls made our date to Hogsmede yesterday happen, we thought we'd pay you back!" said James

"Would you care to join us for breakfast in the common room? Please?" asked Remus.

There was mumbling in the background of the recording.

"And Sirius sends puppy dog eyes pleases even though he's not going to be there," he continued.

"So yeah, write back to us, or holler so we know when you're coming!" concluded James.

The envelope then burst into flame, burnt briefly, then fell to the ground as a pile of ashes.

"So what do you say? Do you want to go back to bed, or go have breakfast with the boys?" asked Frankie.

"Breakfast please! I'm _starving_!" she replied.

The two girls rushed downstairs, still in their pyjamas. Lily was wearing a pale pink singlet with a chocolate bar on it and the words, "Love is overrated… but chocolate isn't!" and dark pink flannelette pants with paler love hearts on them. Frankie however had on a bright pink top with black sleeves, and, "I … am … BADBADBADBADBAD" written on the front, and black pants with "BAD" written in hot pink all over them.

As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, they each rushed into their boyfriends arms. James held Lily close, then examined her at arms length.

"I'm hurt Lil!" said James in mock sadness as he read her shirt.

"Aww… don't be like that!" she said. "Now where's that breakfast that you promised us?"

"This way," said Remus, who, Lily noticed, had his arm around Frankie's waist.

The boys had partitioned off one corner of the common room, and as they entered, they saw that they had placed a table in the middle of two two-person couches. It had no food on it however, but a menu, not unalike to those that were used at the balls that Professor Dumbledore loved to hold.

"You know the drill, tell the menu what you want!" said James, as he and Lily sat down.

Lily scanned the menu, and decided on a continental breakfast, with miniature Danishes, croissants, and a small bread roll.

Frankie ordered a stack of pancakes with maple syrup and ice-cream, and the two boys had a 'big breakfast' with scrambled eggs on toast, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

The food was immediately sent up from the kitchens, and was, as usual, delicious.

As they were finishing the meal, Professor McGonagall entered.

"Miss Evans? Miss Lloyd? Could you please accompany me to the Headmaster's office immediately?" she requested.

"We'll be right there, we just need a few minutes to get dressed," said Lily.

"No, the Headmaster requested that you come right away. Just get your cloaks and put them on over your pyjamas," McGonagall responded.

Lily and Frankie hurried up the stairs to their dormitory.

"Why do you think he wants us? We haven't done anything lately have we?" asked Lily worriedly.

"No… not as far as I can remember!" responded Frankie. "It's probably just looking after a new student or something."

They grabbed their cloaks, and in Lily's case, a flannelette shirt to go over her singlet, then made their way back downstairs.

vvvvv

As they ascended the winding staircase to Professor Dumbledore's office, Lily shifted uncomfortably. _We'd better not be in trouble,_ she thought. _This could go on my permanent record! Then I might not get to be Head Girl after all!_

The door swung open without their assistance, and the two girls were ushered into the room by Professor McGonagall.

"Welcome to my office," said Professor Dumbledore.

_Said the spider to the fly,_ thought Lily.

"As it so happens, we have a new student at our school. She is part of the student exchange program, and she will be with us for an extended period, namely until seventh year. She comes from the Adelaide Academy for Young Witches And Wizards, and I would like you to make her feel very welcome to Hogwarts. Lily, Frankie, this is Melanie Howlett."

A small girl with shoulder length blonde hair turned around to reveal mischievous sea-green eyes, and a wicked grin. "Nice PJ's!"

**

* * *

Hehe... She'll appear more in later chapters...**

**Now... Important lifechanging exciting descision! To write more "fluff" or "drabble" or whatever you want to call 'em chapters so that I have time to write the important exciting chapters nearer to the end so I can upload them all at the same time... or to leave the fluff/drabble/whatever out, and go straight to the good bit, but you'll have to wait for a while in between!**

**You have to review and tell me what you want, because otherwise I'll just go ahead and do whatever I feel like doing at the current time!**

**That little button down there looks awefully nice... press it... please!**

** \v/**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ahem. ****No, I was not dead, I was just incredibly laz- ... I mean busy, and it's taken me ages to write this chapter! But on the good side, school holidays are only 2 days away! Yay! So I _should_ be able to get another chapter up during the holidays (fingers crossed!).**

**Much kudos to my gorgeous reviewers - Mad Over Moony, Master Fifer, Irma, the "anon" person, Whitelight, GiddyGirlie, SpAzZzZzAtTaCk, Leaves, and Elven Tresses. I think I have a new record - 8 reviews on the one chapter - see if we can beat it this time!**

**Irma - Yeah, I agree, looking back that bit kinda doesn't make sense! But what I meant it to mean was that the table was set up like the ones in the Great Hall in GOF were, at the big feast with the dancing. Sorry if I confused you and any other readers! I'll try and put more detail into future chapters.**

**Anon - Thanks for the review! Here's your update!**

**All the other reviewers - I think I replied to all of you, if not, just shoot me an email!**

**Just so you all know, the character Melanie is my friend Melanie, except she is only based on her looks, and most definetely not her personality! The real Melanie's personality is melded with Frankie's in ... well ... Frankie!**

**Disclaimer - Harry Potter and most of the characters aren't mine, however Melanie belongs to me, and Frankie belongs to herself. The song Sirius is singing isn't mine either, it's just "Lily In The Valley" but I changed the words a bit! And Build Me Up Buttercup isn't mine either, it belongs to The Foundations. So really, all I own of this story is one character and the idea!**

**Happy reading!**

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Chapter Four

"Now, Melanie, Lily and Frankie will be showing you around the school for now, and you will be in their dormitory for the time that you spend here with us at Hogwarts," said Dumbledore, as Lily and Frankie exchanged worried looks. Both of them were thinking, _Do we trust her? Or not?_

Melanie's face glowed with happiness. "Cool! Let's go!" She turned to pick up her trunk, but Dumbledore interrupted.

"Miss Bebak, you needn't worry about carrying your bags up yourself. One of the house-elves will do it for you. The bags will be in your room by lunchtime. Until then, enjoy your Sunday."

The three girls made their way out of the headmaster's office, and mounted the stairs. "So, are you guys making a fashion statement with the pyjamas, or is that your uniform?" asked Melanie.

"Neither," snapped and irate Frankie. "We _were_ downstairs in the common room, enjoying a peaceful breakfast with our bo-"

"Our _friends_," interrupted Lily.

"Whatever. Then McGonagall hollers that we had to come up to the headmaster right now this very instant, and then there you were! See, _not_ our fault!" finished Frankie.

"Yup… sure… so anyway, onto more important topics. Are there any hot guys in our house? What's it called… um… wasn't it Gryffindear or something like that?" asked Melanie.

"Gryffindor. Yeah, there's some pretty hot guys, and we'll show you which ones are available and which ones to steer clear of when we get up to the common room," clarified Lily. "Are there many hot guys in Australia? Or are they all butt-ugly?"

Melanie looked gleeful as they approached this new subject. "Sure there are! There was this one guy at my old school…"

Guys, and their gorgeous-ness (or otherwise) lasted them as conversation all the way up to the Gryffindor Tower.

Lily spoke the single word of the password, "Osiris," and the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open, to reveal the common room. James and Remus sat at the table next to their abandoned breakfast, deep in conversation. Sirius was studying an ancient piece of parchment, and writing down notes on a separate sheet, titled "Blackmail".

"People of the world, we have returned, you can stop the mass grieving and mourning now!" announced Frankie to the almost empty room.

"Lily! Frankie! You're back!" exclaimed James. "Where did you guys go? We were so worried something bad had happened!"

"Nope, nothing drastic, just a new student," Lily said to the boys. To Melanie she said, "Me and Frankie are going upstairs to get changed so you can lay off us about the pyjamas. Do you want to come upstairs and we can show you around, or stay down here?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Melanie exclaimed, "Down here! Don't worry; I'll play nicely with the little boys."

"Okay… see you guys in a few minutes! Holler if you need anything while we're upstairs," said Frankie

Lily and Frankie walked up the stairs, missing Melanie planting herself on the couch right next to James, who looked decidedly uncomfortable. "So boys, what did you say your names were?" she enquired.

"Do you like her?" asked Frankie, as they gathered their clothes from their trunks.

"Yeah… kinda… I think we should leave it for a while, just to see if we can trust her," said Lily.

The girls got dressed quickly, Lily donning a white gypsy shirt and blue jeans, and Frankie wore a tan hippy skirt, and a red shirt with lips and "kiss kiss" printed onto it. They started doing their hair, when they heard a voice floating up the stairs.

"Don't you know that there's a _LILY_ in the _COMMON ROOM_, 'coz she's called by a _HANDSOME STAR_…"

"Did you hear someone singing? Or is it just me?" asked Lily.

"_LILY_ in the _COMMON ROOM_…" sang the voice, sounding more urgent this time.

"There's definitely someone singing," agreed Frankie.

"_LILY_ in the _COMMON ROOM_, 'coz she's called by a _HANDSOME STAR_…" came again.

"Lil, do we know any handsome stars?"

"I don't think so… hang on, isn't Sirius the name of a star?" asked Lily.

"Hey, it is too! So that means… Sirius wants us downstairs, because… why?"

"I don't know, but if he's resorted to singing, it must be pretty important! I'm going down, are you coming?" said Lily, half-running towards the stairs.

"Dur I'm coming, this could be excellent blackmail material for Sirius!" replied Frankie, following close behind.

The two girls were met at the bottom of the stairs by Sirius, looking very desperate. He opened his mouth for another verse of his song. "DON'T YOU KNOW THAT -"

"I'm here already! What's the big drama?" interrupted Lily.

"Pft. Look over there if you can't see," replied Sirius, pointing to the couch that James and Remus had occupied just minutes ago. Remus had inexplicably disappeared (Lily suspected that the Invisibility Cloak that the Marauders were rumoured to possess was in use that very second), and Melanie was straddling James on the couch, kissing his neck, and running her fingers through his hair, while James himself looked panicked and was mouthing, "help me!" very clearly to them.

Frankie nudged her friend. "Lily, he's your boy, go do your stuff!" she whispered.

Lily marched over to the couch, and an expression of relief was apparent in James' face.

"Mobilicorpus!" Lily shouted, pointing her wand furiously at Melanie, then directing her over to hang suspended about a foot off the floor. Lily drew herself up to her full height of 175 centimetres, slapped Melanie really hard across the face, and drew a deep breath, preparing to launch into a tirade. "How _dare_ you harass James like that? You know perfectly well that James and me are going out – "

Frankie risked a small cough, as a look of realisation spread over Melanie's face, and a red handprint bloomed.

"_What_ is it?" snapped Lily, whirling around to face her friend.

"Uh… Lily… I don't know how to say this…"

"Just say it Frankie!"

"You _didn't_ actually _tell_ her about you and James…"

"So?"

"So… Her coming on to him is perfectly excusable" finished Frankie, bracing herself for a screaming fit directed at her, and also got her wand out, preparing to cast a shield charm, should a jinx accompany said screaming fit.

It took a few seconds for Lily's brain to process this new bit of information. She took several deep breaths before continuing. "Oh… alright then… but why did you do that? I only left you guys down here for five minutes at the most! Is this some… I don't know… weird Australian thing, where you go around and pash every guy you meet? Is that how you people say hello or something?"

"Would said pashing be before or after I ride to school along a dirt road on a kangaroo's back?" asked Melanie sarcastically.

"I don't know! Just answer the question! _Why did you do it?_" persisted Lily, who had completely missed the sarcasm.

"Well… I… uh…" stammered Melanie.

Suddenly, the creak of the portrait hole was heard. "Students, whatever is happening here?" asked Professor McGonagall as she walked into the common-room. Here eyes widened, and she looked shocked as she saw what was happening in the room. "Miss Bebak, who is currently in control of the _Mobilicorpus_ spell?"

Melanie pointed wordlessly to Lily.

"Miss Evans! I expected better of you! Let her down this instant! _Gently_!"

When Melanie successfully had two feet back on the ground, Professor McGonagall spoke again. "Now, why on earth did you suspend Melanie in the air? And that handprint on her face – was that you as well?"

"Professor… Not my fault… Hers… Her… James… Not nice!" spluttered Lily.

"Oh… Alright then. Melanie, could you go up to your dormitory, and wash your face? Maybe get rid of the handprint before it bruises?" said McGonagall, surprisingly nicely considering what just happened. Melanie walked slowly up the stairs, and once she was out of sight, the Deputy Head spoke again. "Evans, Lloyd, Black, and Potter. Come here." The four students moved in to stand in front of Professor McGonagall. "Now, as I understand it, you have just experienced a show of Miss Bebak's, well, slight problem. She was hit by a Cruciatus Curse as a very small child, and while she survived physically unscathed, her mind was not so lucky."

"So you mean she has mental problems?" asked Sirius, as blunt as ever.

"Well, yes, if you want to put it like that, she has mental problems. But to put it nicely, she has a split personality. What you just saw was an example of her… well… not so self-controlled side."

Lily turned visibly paler.

"Miss Evans, are you alright? You don't look very well."

"What have I done?" the others heard Lily mutter as she rushed up the stairs to the dormitory.

* * *

**I'd love it if you guys left me a review! I really need constructive criticism, and if I don't get any reviews, then I'll stop writing this story, and I don't really want to do that, but there's not much point in writing it if nobody reads it is there?**

**Keep on smiling **

**Meggie-Moo**


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